11/25/2021
🔈 OCCIPITAL NEURALGIA
Occipital Neuralgia or C2 Neuralgia is a form of headache in which there is throbbing electric-shock like pain in upper neck, back of head, and behind ears generally occurring on one side of head. The pain generally begins in neck and then slowly radiates upward. Some people may also have pain in forehead, scalp, and behind eyes and there maybe tenderness in the scalp and eyes become sensitive to light. The pain is located in areas supplied by greater and lesser occipital nerve, which runs from area where spinal column meets neck to scalp at back of head.
Occipital Neuralgia or C2 Neuralgia can often be confused with migraine or other types of headache because the symptoms can be similar, but occipital neuralgia is a distinct disorder that requires an accurate diagnosis to be treated properly.
There Are Two Major Types of Occipital Neuralgia or C2 Neuralgia:
🔎 Greater Occipital Neuralgia: Greater occipital neuralgia is a common type of posttraumatic headache, but is also seen in patients without injury. The pressure, aching, stabbing, or throbbing pain may be in a nuchal-occipital, temporal, parietal, frontal, periorbital, or retro-orbital distribution. The headache may last for minutes or hours to days and can be unilateral or bilateral.
🔎 Lesser Occipital Neuralgia: Lesser occipital neuralgia is similar to that of greater occipital neuralgia, but the pain generally refers more laterally over the head.
The pathophysiology of Occipital Neuralgia or C2 Neuralgia is unknown although it may by secondary to whiplash injuries as well as systemic or local diseases. It is believed to be related to increased muscle activity in the cervical region or entrapment of the second cranial nerve root by paravertebral structures.
Occipital Neuralgia or C2 Neuralgia can be caused by multiple different factors the most common cause being a head trauma. Neck injury such as a whiplash may result in damage and inflammation to the occipital region causing pain and nerve irritation. Occipital Neuralgia or C2 Neuralgia may be caused due to pinching or entrapment of the nerve root in the neck with the most common causes being tumors, tight muscles, and some spine conditions. Diabetes or gout may also cause occipital neuralgia, but are less common. However, the cause is unknown is some of the cases.
🔎 Symptoms for Occipital Neuralgia or C2 Neuralgia May Include:
- Burning, aching and throbbing pain that starts typically at the base of the head and radiates to the scalp
- Pain can be on one side or both sides of the head
- Sensitivity to light
- Pain behind the eye
- Scalp tenderness
- Pain when moving the neck.
🔑 Treatment of Occipital Neuralgia
- Pain killers
- Applying heat to the neck
- Resting in a quiet room
- Massage of the tight and painful neck muscles
- Muscle relaxants
- Surgery.
